I. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a method and device for automatically releasing the automatic parking brake when starting.
II. Description of Related Art
In the state of the art, making electric parking brakes which replace manual parking brakes has previously been proposed.
The electric parking brake is connected to a computer which, depending on different operating signals of the vehicle, permits its automatic release without the driver's direct intervention.
In the state of the art, a system of assistance to starting on a hill, using the automatic parking brake, has also been proposed, which is based on detection notably of the degree of depression of the clutch pedal, in order to deduce therefrom the engine torque available to the wheel, on the one hand, and for the aid of the driver, on the other, in starting the vehicle, when the latter is maintained on the slope by operation of the automatic parking brake.
The above system operates correctly.
However, the inventors found that the solution had a rather high cost which it was desirable to reduce. They realized that eliminating the clutch pedal position detector is a way of reducing that cost.
Along the same lines, in the solution previously developed, use of the information on the clutch pedal position has to be converted into a torque value transmitted to the wheel, which notably complicates the means of calculation of the automatic parking break release controller when the latter is working to assist starting on a hill.